By comparing these models with in-situ and remote sensing observations, a better understanding of the physical processes during the propagation of CMEs can be developed resulting in more accurate space weather forecasts which will help to better protect Astronauts and space-based equipment such as satellites and the ISS.

Recently, Meng’s data modeling has expanded to include the simulation of stellar winds and CMEs for exo-solar and exo-planetary systems to study their influence on the habiitability of exo-planets.

Meng received his BS in Astronomy and MS in Astrophyiscs from Nanjing University, China. He was awarded his PhD in Space Physics & Scientific Computing from the University of Michigan in 2014 after which did his post-doc at Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab. From 2016-2017 Meng was a Project Scientist at UCAR, and in January 2018 he joined the SETI Institute as a Research Scientist.

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Episode 660: Crew Dragon Reaches the Station. What it Took to Replace the Space Shuttle

On Sunday, May 31st, 2020, a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley docked with the International Space Station. This was a tremendous accomplishment for SpaceX and NASA, giving the United States the capability of launching its own astronauts, and no longer relying on its Russian partners.

This was the 5th time that US astronauts went into orbit on a new kind of space vehicle, following in the footsteps of Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle.